m by methods of
inference and inclusion.

"You must let me congratulate you very warmly, Miss Fox-Seton," she
said, pressing her hand with maternal patronage. "Your life has changed
greatly since we last saw each other."

"Very greatly indeed," Emily flushed frankly in innocent gratitude as
she answered. "You are very kind. Thank you, thank you."

"Yes, a great change." Walderhurst saw that her smile was feline and
asked himself what the woman was going to say next. "The last time we
met you called to ask me about the shopping you were to do for me. Do
you remember? Stockings and gloves, I think."

Walderhurst observed that she expected Emily to turn red and show
herself at a loss before the difficulties of the situation. He was on
the point of cutting into the conversation and disposing of the matter
himself when he realised that Emily was neither gaining colour nor
losing it, but was looking honestly into her Grace's eyes with just a
touch of ingenuous regret.

"It was stockings," she said. "There were some marked down to one and
elevenpence halfpenny at Barratt's. They were really _quite_ good for
the price. And you wanted four pairs. And when I got there they were all
gone, and those at two and three were not the least bit better. I was so
disappointed. It was too bad!"

Walderhurst fixed his monocle firmly to conceal the fact that he was
verging upon a cynical grin. The woman was known to be the stingiest of
small great persons in London, her economies were noted, and this
incident was even better than many others society had already rejoiced
over. The picture raised in the minds of the hearers of her Grace foiled
in the purchase of stockings marked down to 1_s_. 11-1/2_d_. would be a
source of rapture for some time to come. And Emily's face! The regretful
kindness of it, the retrospective sympathy and candid feeling! It was
incredibly good!

"And she did it quite by accident!" he repeated to himself in his inward
glee. "She did it quite by accident! She's not clever enough to have
done it on purpose. What a brilliantly witty creature she would be if
she had invented it!"

As she had been able unreluctantly to recall her past upon this
occasion, so she was able to draw for Mrs. Osborn's benefit from the
experience it had afforded her. She wanted to make up to her, in such
ways as she could, for the ill turn she had inadvertently done her. As
she had at once ranged herself as an aid on the side of Lady Aga